An economic assessment of sericulture enterprise in rain-fed areas of Jammu region

Abstract

The study conducted in the Jammu region of J&K state has investigated the economics of sericulture farming in three districts namely, Kathua, Rajouri and Udhampur by taking 270 silkworm rearers, 90 from each district through primary survey during the year 2017-18. The study has revealed that sericulturists of Kathua district incurred highest establishment cost per acre (₹ 14099.96) for the mulberry garden followed by Udhampur (₹ 13216.29) and Rajouri (₹ 12948.81) with overall average as ₹ 14007.70. Human labour, saplings, machine labour, farm yard manure (FYM) and fertilizers has been found to be the important components comprising the total cost of which human labour contributed the most towards the total cost followed by expenditure on saplings. Highest maintenance cost per acre per year for mulberry garden has been found to be borne by the sericulturists of Udhampur district (₹ 4872.88) followed by Kathua (₹ 4480.14) and Rajouri (₹ 4441.61) with overall average as ₹ 4685.52. Of the two components (manures and manuring and fertilizers and its application) comprising the total maintenance cost, manures and manuring contributed more towards the total cost as compared to that of fertilizers and its application. The cost incurred per ounce for cocoon production has been found to be highest in Kathua district (₹ 8953.03) followed by Rajouri (₹ 8760.36) and Udhampur (₹ 8262.77) with overall average as ₹ 8756.23. Variable cost has been the major component of the total cost and among the various items constituting the variable cost, the highest share has been found to be of human labour followed by leaf cost, transportation and marketing and cost of disease free layings in the study area. The rearers of Udhampur district (₹ 23940.00) earned highest income followed by Rajouri (₹ 23268.60) and Kathua (₹ 23063.33) with overall average as ₹ 23865.00. Furthermore, the results revealed highest benefit cost ratio in Udhampur district (2.90) followed by Rajouri (2.66) and Kathua (2.58) with overall average as 2.73. Garrett’s Ranking technique highlighted non-availability of shed, price variation, poor quality of seed, crop damage, delayed marketing of the produce and non-possession of required number of rearing kits as the major constraints related to cocoon production. The study suggested for provision of good quality seed, organizing departmental vans for transporting cocoons, exclusive development in the source of mulberry foliage by putting more area under bush type mulberry plants, introduction of price control measures (like MSP) for stabilizing the cocoon prices, and above all improvement in extension services as it is a pre-requisite for the progress and success of sericulture enterprise.